Tag Archive for ‘housing costs’

Regulation: 40.6 Percent of the Cost of Multifamily Development

Recently, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and the National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC) undertook a joint research effort to find out how much government regulation adds to the cost of building new multifamily housing via a survey distributed to multifamily developers. The research finds that an average of 40.6 percent of total development costs can now be attributed… Read More ›

Inflation Hits Another New 40-Year High in March

Driven by higher food, gasoline and housing cost, consumer prices continued to accelerate in March. This marked the sixth straight month for inflation above a 6% rate and was the fastest annual pace since December 1981. Though gas prices have fallen slightly from their March highs, the pace of inflation will likely stay high in the months ahead as lockdowns… Read More ›

Regulation: Over 30 Percent of the Cost of a Multifamily Development

Regulation imposed by all levels of government (whether local, state or federal) accounts for 32.1 percent of the cost of an average multifamily development, according to a new study conducted jointly by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and the National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC).  The study is based primarily on a survey of multifamily developers from both organizations. The results… Read More ›

Regulation: 24.3 Percent of the Average New Home Price

A new NAHB study shows that, on average, regulations imposed by government at all levels account for 24.3 percent of the final price of a new single-family home built for sale.  Three-fifths of this—14.6 percent of the final house price—is due to a higher price for a finished lot resulting from regulations imposed during the lot’s development.  The other two-fifths—9.7… Read More ›

New Homes are Less Expensive to Maintain

April is new homes month. And one of the virtues of a newly constructed home is the savings that come from reduced energy and maintenance expenses. In a previous analysis, we used data from the 2009 American Housing Survey (AHS) to offer proof. The AHS classifies new construction as homes no more than four years old. For routine maintenance expenses,… Read More ›

Fair Market Rents: Large Changes in Many Areas

On August 5th, HUD published its preliminary Fair Market Rents (FMRs) for Fiscal Year 2014.  By law, HUD is required to publish final FMRs annually by October 1, and circulates a preliminary list in advance with a period for public comment.   The primary use of FMRs is to set limits on subsidies in HUD’s Housing Choice Voucher Program, but FMRs… Read More ›

Lower Operating Costs Mean New-Home Buyers Can Afford More House

A newly published study from NAHB’s Economics and Housing Policy Group looks at how operating costs vary depending on the age of the home, using data that has recently become available from the American Housing Survey (funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau). Basic findings include operating costs (fuels, other utilities, maintenance,… Read More ›

HUD’s Proposed Fair Market Rents Address a Number of Industry Issues

On August 3rd, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released its list of proposed  Fair Market Rents (FMRs) for fiscal year 2013.  The primary purpose of FMRs is to establish maximum subsidies for HUD’s Housing Voucher Program (which provides rental assistance to about 1.8 million low-income, elderly and disabled households) although FMRs are sometimes used in other applications… Read More ›